Kilcormac-Killoughey will contest their third Leinster senior club hurling final in six seasons after they recorded a landslide win over Mount Leinster Rangers of Carlow yesterday afternoon, but a straight red card to county midfielder Cillian Kiely will be a huge blow to their chances of upsetting All-Ireland champions Cuala on Sunday week.

Kilkenny 4-18 Westmeath 0-18: A flood of early goals helped Kilkenny cruise to a 12-point Walsh Cup win in Mullingar yesterday, setting up a semi-final clash with Wexford next weekend.

Limerick 2-13, Clare 1-13: A devastating mid-game stretch when they hit 2-8 with just a point in reply powered Limerick’s junior footballers to a Munster semi-final date with Kerry in the Gaelic Grounds yesterday.

Limerick 0-11 Clare 1-14: When the sides met in last year’s National Football League, Limerick pulled themselves out of a four-game losing streak to kickstart an unlikely Division Three survival with a double-scores victory. Sadly for them, history did not repeat itself yesterday as they were brushed aside far more comprehensively by Clare than the final margin of six points suggests.

Brian Cody has made four changes to the Kilkenny side for today’s Allianz Hurling League Division 1A clash with Tipperary in Nowlan Park (throw-in 2pm).

Offaly hurlers’ first inter-county game in Birr in nine years ended with a hard-fought victory over an experimental Kilkenny side comprising U21s and a handful of senior panellists.

McGrath Cup - Clare 0-12 Kerry 0-9: Paul Galvin will not be returning to the Kerry football set-up for the season ahead, manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice confirmed yesterday evening.

Clare 1-10 Tipperary 1-9: A late goal by local star Kieran Malone earned Clare victory over Tipperary in the opening round of the McGrath Cup yesterday.

Mayo 1-12 Kilkenny 0-8: Kilkenny’s decision to line out with two sweepers in Saturday’s All Ireland Junior Championship semi-final had backfired spectacularly within 20 minutes, as Mayo opened up a 1-5 to no score lead at O’Connor Park.

Kilkenny 2-14 Carlow 2-12: They never actually trailed but Kilkenny still departed Netwatch Cullen Park wiping beads of sweat from their brow last night.

Leinster U21 HC semi-finals Kilkenny v Carlow, Netwatch Cullen Park (J Heffernan, Wexford), 7.30pm.

St Joseph’s (Clare) 3-11 Seán Finns, Rathkeale (Limerick) 0-07

Tipperary 3-13 Kilkenny 1-17

In the pursuit of excellence, sportspeople make extraordinary sacrifices.

Dublin were clearly on a mission in Dr Cullen Park on Saturday after being ousted by Wexford last week.

Unsurprisingly, Clare had no problem overcoming Kilkenny at Cusack Park in Ennis yesterday to set up a promotion decider away to Wicklow next weekend.

As expected, London picked up their first win of the year with a facile victory over Division 4 strugglers Kilkenny in Nowlan Park, the Cats’ second heaviest defeat in the campaign.

A goal in either half from Clare senior hurler Cathal McInerney powered the Banner into the Munster U21 FC semi-final against Cork in two weeks.

The return of Limerick’s John Galvin from a nine month cruciate injury lay-off was the biggest talking point from this Allianz Football League mismatch at Newcastlewest on Saturday.

Fermanagh had absolutely no problem defending their position at the head of Division 4 with a massive 46-point win over Kilkenny at Freshford yesterday.

A double goal blast either side of half-time put Borris VS into the Leinster Vocational Schools SAHC final after a surprise win over Coláiste Mhuire, Johnstown in Thomastown.

Wing-forward Joe Kelly turned in a champagne performance for Wicklow’s footballers as they romped to victory over Kilkenny at Freshford yesterday.

CAPTAIN Elaine Finn kicked the winning point as Westmeath staged a remarkable fightback to win the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies IFC final replay against Cavan at Croke Park yesterday.

Cavan 1-8 Westmeath 1-9

CAVAN came from three points down in the final six minutes to salvage a draw against Westmeath in yesterday’s TG4 All-Ireland Ladies IFC final at Croke Park.

Limerick 1-07 Westmeath 1-10

WITH less than two minutes remaining in normal time in the floodlit Gaelic Grounds last night, Clare had this Munster championship U21 first-round game all but won.

UL’s aspirations of winning the Fitzgibbon Cup title remain intact, but only after they were forced to survive a stern examination from UCD in yesterday’s quarter-final.

CLARE secured their first brace of league points when they crushed Kilkenny in Saturday’s Allianz NFL Division Four tie at Miltown Malbay.

CORK hurling manager Denis Walsh acknowledges that there are some “serious” contenders in their training panel for a small number of places in the squad.

TIPPERARY senior Paul Kelly pounced for a crucial 55th minute goal that swung yesterday’s Fitzgibbon Cup Group D tie in Limerick in the direction of his UL team.

FANCIED Tralee CBS were made fight all the way before beating a determined St Flannan’s, Ennis side in the Corn Ui Mhuiri quarter-final at bitterly cold Glin yesterday.

A 61ST minute pointed free from wing forward Darren O’Sullivan, after star man, Ciaran Keating was fouled, dislocating his shoulder in the process, was enough to see Coláiste Na Sceilge beat wasteful St Flannan’s, Ennis at Glin yesterday to qualify for the quarter-finals.

BRIAN CODY will have fond memories of All-Ireland hurling final day in 1972.

FOR the majority of last night’s Cadbury’s Munster U21FC quarter-final in Cooraclare, Limerick full-forward Cormac Joyce-Power’s role entailed aiding his colleagues out the field.

University of Limerick 0-14 Waterford IT 1-15

TRALEE CBS’s penchant for striking goals was instrumental in a comfortable success against St Flannan’s in yesterday afternoon’s Munster Colleges Frewen Cup quarter-final in Glin.

THE end margin may have flattered UL slightly, as four late unanswered points added gloss to their Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final win, and conceals a battling display by a UCC team that were light on physique and experience in comparison to their opponents.

UL 3-18 UUJ 3-7

UL 3-22 LIT 2-18, LIT Grounds (after extra-time)